Fuel-burning apparatus



Nov. 5, 1929., .5. E HAWKE FUEL BURNING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16, 1926 www?? (W ,Mlm la @A Wm Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLARENCE E. HAWXE, OF METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T THE CARBORUNDUM COMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS,

NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA FUEL-BURN IN G APPARATUS Application led .Tune 16,

This invention relates to apparatus for ,burning fluid fuel, and more especially to a combustion chamber for use with fluid fuel burners. The present invention relates particularly to an improvement in combustion chambers of the general type disclosed in-U.

S. patents to Cannon, Numbers 1,371,773 and 1,371,774, and has for its object to provide a combustion chamber of special design particularly adapted for use the type wherein the burner is centrally disposed with relation to the fire box in which it is placed, and wherein the fluid fuel 1s directed from the central burner in several or all directions thereabout.

The invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate certai-n embodiments of my invention, but it will be understood that the 2o invention ma be otherwise embodied within the scope and*y spirit thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a horizontal section through the fire box of a boiler above the plane of the burner, the

boiler illustrated being of the type commonly employed for domestic heating purposes, and

' ordinarily fired with coal.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section through the furnace shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing aslightly modified form of combustion apparatus. 1 Y s Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing a vertical section through the apparatus disclosed in Figure 3.

According to the present invention, an oil burner 5 is placed in the fire box in place of the coal burning grates generally employed. This burner is illustrated as being of the type wherein the oil is introduced into a head revolving at high speed and atomized by the centrifugal action thereof. The atomized fuel is thrown out in all directions from the revolving head. The head is driven by a central vertical shaft 6 through gearing contained in a housing 7 and operated from 'a horizontally disposed shaft 8 which is driven by connection with a motor or other suitable actuating means'outside the furnace and not 50 shown. This general type of fuel burner with burners of 'atomizing fuel burner.

1926. serialV No. 116,259.

is, at the present time, familiar to those skilled in the art.

According to the present invention, a refractory floor 9 is provided to replace the grates which have been removed and set on this iioor is an annular refractory vertical wall l0 which is concentric with the `burner 5 and which is spaced some distance therefrom. Spaced inwardly from the wall 10 is a refractory wall 11 whose lower edge terminates at about the level of the top of the I have shown the walls 10 and l1 as being formed by refractory blocks which are fitted together to form the annular wall structure, and which have radially disposed webs 13 for supporting the inner wall from the outer one.

The wall 10 forms an annular combustion chamber about the and lues 14 are provided between the upper part of the wall l() and the inner wall ll. The walls l0 and l1 are preferably made of silicon carbide or other refractory stantially high coelicient of tivity and having a relatively high heat radiating capacity. I do not limit myself, however, to the use of the silicon carbide o1' to any refractory, as any well known refractory or fire clay material may be utilized. The best results, however, are obtained where the refractory does possess the property of heat conduchigh heat conductivity and have a high heat radiating capacity.

- In the operation of the furnace, fuel is brought to the revolving head 5 in any suitable way and is distributed into the annular combustion chamber by the centrifugal action of the head in an atomized condition. The atomized fuel burns in the annular combustion chamber and the flames and hot gases of combustion rise through the vertical passages 111, which are really a part of the combustion chamber, and escape into the fire box. From the fire box, the gases pass out of the furnace in the usual way.

By confining the burning gases to the annular combustion chamber, it is possible to get substantially perfect and complete combustion with an excess of air only slightly above the required theoretical amount, whereas if atomizing fuel distributor having a subthe mixture is discharged into the hre box of the furnace directly from a distributing head, a large excess of air is necessary. VThis materially cuts down the resulting temperature of the burning gases and means that a larger amount of sensible heat is carried up the flue Without being absorbed by the heating surfaces of the boiler. When the gases are burned in the combustion chamber with little excess of air, a high temperature is obtained, and the Walls of the combustion chamber becomehighly heated. Thewalls then act as a source of radiant heat. lf the Walls are formed of silicon carbide or other substance having high thermal conductivity and having a high heat radiating capacity,' the heat is most effectively radiated to the absorbing surfaces of the boiler. l have shown the combustion chamber as'being applied to a 'furnace of the type wherein the Water is heated both by radiation and convection, so that heat will be absorbed from the high temperature gases escaping from the combustion chamber into the lire box and passing out the flues. By constructing a combustion chamber of silicon carbide which has a thermal conductivity eight times that of tire clay and which has a ver high capacity for radiating heat, the radiating capacity of the combustion chamber is greatly increased, thus keeping the refractory Well below its fusing temperature but at a temperature suiiiciently high to permit the complete combustion of the fuel mixture Without any carbonization thereof.

W here the fuel mixture is ejected directly against the relatively cold surfacesof the boiler tubes, as has heretofore been the .practice, combustion is not completely effected,

and carbonization of the combustion cham-v ber takes place. Frequently the combustible mixture, When ejected directly against the boiler tubes, deposits sufficient carbon thereon to build up a carbonized layer Which cuts down the heat absorption of the boiler tubes and thereby impairs the efficiency of the boiler. This cannot occur with the present invention and carbonization of combustion chamber Wi ll not take place.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 3, l i

have shown the furnace as being provided with a fuel burner of the type hereinbefore described, but the combustion chamber, instead of being formed by tivo concentric Walls such as l() and ll, connected at intervals by the Webs 13, is composed of a plurality of l shaped blocks l5 each having a horizontal leg 15u which is directed radially inward toward the fuel burner l@ and each of which has a vertical leg 15b which extends vvell above the top of the fuel burner. in each of the refractory blocks l5 is a passage 1'?,

the inner terminal of the passage being directed toward the fuel burner, While the other r1 ,1 l 0 l end or the passage is at the top or the vertical :reaeee leg 15b of the block. The horizontal legs 15 of the several blocks, preferably have sides which are radial to the center of the combustion chamber or burner, so that 'the blocks can be fitted closely together as shown in Figure 3. The annular series of openings provided bythe Several blocks, forms an annular combustion chamber about the burner. The atomized fuel is sprayed or ejected into this combustion chamber and combustion is `edected Within the passages in the blocks, under the same favorable conditions as hereinbefore described. rlthe gases of combustion escape from the 'tops of the blocks into the furnace and circulate through the iiu'es thereof in the usual manner.

Silicon carbide has a catalytic edect in promoting combustion which ordinary' refractories, such as fire clay do not have, and which adds to the efciency of the refractory when used in a combustion chamber, particularly with fuel oil. ln contact with the heated silicon carbide Walls of the combustion chamber, the hydro carbone of the fuel enter into a more complete union With the oxygen of the air. By making the combustion chamber in sections so as to provide transverse Webs in the combustion chamber structure, additional contact surface is provided. Furthermore, the partitioning Webs may have a useful function in directing the flow of hot gases and the combustible mixture.

Y'While l have illustrated the combustion chamber as being used with a particular form of burner, it will be understood that the invention is not confined to use with any particular type of burner, beiner applicable to any burner for fluid fuel, either of a liquid or gaseous nature. wherein the fuel is ejected in diiferent directions from the central burner. lt Will also be understood that the annular combustion chamber need not be of the particular shape illustrated, and that it does not have to be circular, but can be of any desired shape, this depending on the type of burner employed and the shape of the lire boa in Which the burner is disposed. lt will also be understood that the invention is not limit-ed to the particular construct-ion of the combustion chamber, as the combustion chamber can be constructed and arranged in various other Ways within the contemplation of my invention and under the scope of the following claims.

l claim:

lll)

l. Apparatus for burning fuel including l a centrally positioned fuel distributor, and a double-Walled radiating combustion chamber disposed around the distributor in spaced relation thereto and having openings at the bottom thereof directed toward the fuel distributor, the space between the Walls forming a passageway for the combustion gases.

2. Apparatus for burning fuel including a centrally positioned fuel distributor, and

a radiating combustion chamber disposed around the distributor in spaced relation thereto, the bottom of said radiating combustion chamber being opened toward the distributor, the said radiating combustion chamber being composed of'a' refractory mawalled refractory members, each of which has v a lateral opening directed toward the fuel distributor, and a vertical opening above-the fuel distributor.

4. Apparatus for burning fluid fuel including a central fuel distributor, a circularly constructed radiating combustion chamber surrounding vthe same, in spaced relation thereto said combustion chamber opening laterallyv toward the fuel distributor and opening vertically above the fuel distributor, the inner and outer walls of the chamber being exposed.

5. Apparatus for burning fluid fuel including a central fuel distributoi` arranged to distribute a fuel mixture laterally'in dif ferent directions thereabout and a combustion chamber of the radiating combustion type concentrically arranged about the mixer, said combustion chamber having double refractory walls with a combustion space therebetween and an open space at its center, said combustion space being open laterally toward the distributor to receive the fuel mixture distributed by the distributor.

6. The combination with a fuel atomizer of a heat wradiating combustion chamber structure composed of acircular series of silicon carbide sections arranged concentrically aboiit the atomizer, each of the sections having a combustion space therein which opens toward the atomizer.

7. ,The combination with a fuel atomizer of a heat radiating combustion chamber structure composed of a series of sections arranged concentrically aboutw the atomiaer,v -each of the sections having a combustion space therein which opens toward the atomizer, said sections being composed of silicon carbide, the space at the center of the sections being open.

8. Apparatus for burning fuel including a centrifugal atomizing device, and an annular radiating combustion chamber having concentric-exposed vertical walls disposed about said device, said chamber being composed of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity and heat radiating capacity as compared with fire clay.

9. The combination with a centrifugal atomizing device for fluid fuel, of a double walled annular combustion chamber disposed thereabout, formed of a refractory material having a thermal conductivity at least four l times as great as fire clay, the space between the walls of the combustion chamber providing the combustion space and opening radially toward the said atomizing device.

10. The combination with a boiler having a fire box, of a fuel distributor disposed therein and arranged to distribute fuel laterally in diiferent directions thereabout, and a double walled refractory structure disposed about the distributor and spaced therefrom, said double walled structure providing a radiating combustion chamber and having the space between the walls thereof opening toward the fuel distributor.

11. The combination with a substantially circular silicon carbide combustion chamber having exposed inner and outer vertical walls separated from each other to provide a coinbustion space, of a fuel distributor centrally positioned therein, the bottom of the inner wall of the combustion chamber opening toward the distributor.

12. The combination with a substantially circular silicon carbide combustion chamber, formed of sections having exposed lnnerand outer vertical walls separated from each other to provide a combustion s ace and having transverse walls forming sulistantiall radial partitions, of a fuel distributor centra ly positioned therein, the inner walls of the sections being open ltoward the distributor to receive fuel from the distributor.

13, Apparatus for burning fluid fuel including a fuel distributor, an inner wall of silicon carbide symmetrically arranged with respect to said distributor and slightly above it and an outer wall of silicon carbide surrounding the distributor and the inner wall, said walls forming a radiating combustion chamber and an outlet for the combustion gases.

14:. Apparatus for burning fuel comprising a centrifugal atomizing device and a vertically dis osed double-walled, radiating combustion c amber of silicon carbide surrounding said atomizing device, the lower opening between the double walls being directed toward the atomizer to receive the burning mixture which passes up between the walls.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set `in hand.

y CLARENCE E.HAWKE.

lll 

